Now hold on everyone...I am well aware that there is more to the WCO than the 5 yrd out/slant or the TE 5 yrd stop route. That being said...if we are banking on rookie WR Little to "stretch" the field in this offense, we will struggle. Teams are going to be jumping the short routes and I anticipate a couple pick sixes this season for ole Colt.

The Ratbirds picking up Lee Evans for a mere 4th rounder really bothers me and prompted this blog. With a reported 3.25 mil cap number and 2 years remaining on his contract, I can not in my right mind come up with reasoning for the Browns to not make a play on the 7yr vet local product out of Wisconsin. Yes, he had a down year in 11, but he was with the Bills. Thoughts?

ShadowDawg wrote:Now hold on everyone...I am well aware that there is more to the WCO than the 5 yrd out/slant or the TE 5 yrd stop route. That being said...if we are banking on rookie WR Little to "stretch" the field in this offense, we will struggle. Teams are going to be jumping the short routes and I anticipate a couple pick sixes this season for ole Colt.

The Ratbirds picking up Lee Evans for a mere 4th rounder really bothers me and prompted this blog. With a reported 3.25 mil cap number and 2 years remaining on his contract, I can not in my right mind come up with reasoning for the Browns to not make a play on the 7yr vet local product out of Wisconsin. Yes, he had a down year in 11, but he was with the Bills. Thoughts?

Fly/Flag/Go route specialist. Getting up there in terms of running those routes too. I just think the offiense is predicated on YAC and those catches are typically in traffic. I agree he's proven and would be an upgrade but as discussed ad nauseum this isn't a year where competing is as much a priority as development and evaluation.

Sorry if that upsets people. I get why it would. But that's the ship they're sailing.

As to WCO- count the TEs as receivers (which they are in this offense and they may actually be in actuality with Moore and Cameron) and I think you're going to enjoy watching it develop. I really do. All about getting favorable matchups obviously and those 'dinks and dunks' are long handoffs that theoretically get guys into space. Will also get Hillis many touches without brutalizing at the LoS.

Not expecting much tonight but during the course of the season I think we'll see it all come into offense.

e0y2e3 wrote:I've been harder on this new FO than anyone (because you all are still in the new age koolaid stage), but bitching about not getting Lee Evans is about as stupid as stoopid gets.

He's feh, the O is meh and the D sucks.

I just think the O is 'meh' right now. I like the philosophical direction and I truly think you're going to like the personnel as the year progresses. If they can get a healthy Hardesty (bonus) it could ultimately be dynamic.

Yes. The D is for deplorable. And worse because there's zero depth at an already thin LB corps.

ShadowDawg wrote: Now hold on everyone...I am well aware that there is more to the WCO than the 5 yrd out/slant or the TE 5 yrd stop route. That being said...if we are banking on rookie WR Little to "stretch" the field in this offense, we will struggle. Teams are going to be jumping the short routes and I anticipate a couple pick sixes this season for ole Colt.

The Ratbirds picking up Lee Evans for a mere 4th rounder really bothers me and prompted this blog. With a reported 3.25 mil cap number and 2 years remaining on his contract, I can not in my right mind come up with reasoning for the Browns to not make a play on the 7yr vet local product out of Wisconsin. Yes, he had a down year in 11, but he was with the Bills. Thoughts?

The Packers run a version of WCO - they are far from dink and dunk.

Lee Evans has 2 years left - so just about the time the Browns are ready to compete we'll have to either re-sign a 33 year old WR or bring in someone else. I would rather make up our minds on MoMass and 'Biske and see what Mitchell and Little have this year, so we can go back to the draft or FA in 2012 to add the missing pieces.

How many additional wins will Lee Evans bring this year? This year is figuring out what you have in the new schemes. Next year is adding the missing pieces.

I don't need to be patient, they're going to be shit forever. - CDT, discussing my favorite NFL team

ShadowDawg wrote: Now hold on everyone...I am well aware that there is more to the WCO than the 5 yrd out/slant or the TE 5 yrd stop route. That being said...if we are banking on rookie WR Little to "stretch" the field in this offense, we will struggle. Teams are going to be jumping the short routes and I anticipate a couple pick sixes this season for ole Colt.

The Ratbirds picking up Lee Evans for a mere 4th rounder really bothers me and prompted this blog. With a reported 3.25 mil cap number and 2 years remaining on his contract, I can not in my right mind come up with reasoning for the Browns to not make a play on the 7yr vet local product out of Wisconsin. Yes, he had a down year in 11, but he was with the Bills. Thoughts?

The Packers run a version of WCO - they are far from dink and dunk.

Lee Evans has 2 years left - so just about the time the Browns are ready to compete we'll have to either re-sign a 33 year old WR or bring in someone else. I would rather make up our minds on MoMass and 'Biske and see what Mitchell and Little have this year, so we can go back to the draft or FA in 2012 to add the missing pieces.

How many additional wins will Lee Evans bring this year? This year is figuring out what you have in the new schemes. Next year is adding the missing pieces.

I don't think I recall the '05 Seahawks teams having exactly a guy like Evans on the roster. Nor the Iggles up until they sold out and took T.O to get them over the hump after getting beat by the Panthers. They lined up with Freddie Mitchell and Todd Pinkston for gods sake.

FO clearly knows what they're doing, it's not like it's amateur hour again

And agreed, the LB is terrible and that needs to be taken care of in the draft next year.

Swerb wrote:Go start a blog if you want to tell the world your incomprehendible ramblings.

Cerebral_DownTime wrote:I have a big arm and can throw the ball pretty damn far...... maybe even over those moutains. The Browns should sign me, i'll let you all in locker room to drink beer. Then we can all go out the parking lot to watch me do motorcycle stunts.

e0y2e3 wrote:I've been harder on this new FO than anyone (because you all are still in the new age koolaid stage), but bitching about not getting Lee Evans is about as stupid as stoopid gets.

He's feh, the O is meh and the D sucks.

How is it "stoooopid" to go out and get a type of WR that is not on our roster when one of the best front offices and Ozzie went out and did?

As far as "being in decision mode in 2yrs"...this argument is bogus because you deal with roster decisions of these type EVERY year. Most likely, you don't resign. Help at WR is needed now.

As far as MoMass and Robo...please, you are in denial if you believe these guys are anything more than 3rd on any other teams depth chart.

"this front office know's what its doing"...holy hell, I am not believing in squat when it comes to the Browns until I see results in W's. "In Savage we trust"...this site is chalk full of koolaid drinkers that flip flop on the FO more often than John Kerry did!

Swerb wrote:Go start a blog if you want to tell the world your incomprehendible ramblings.

Cerebral_DownTime wrote:I have a big arm and can throw the ball pretty damn far...... maybe even over those moutains. The Browns should sign me, i'll let you all in locker room to drink beer. Then we can all go out the parking lot to watch me do motorcycle stunts.

Swerb wrote:Go start a blog if you want to tell the world your incomprehendible ramblings.

Cerebral_DownTime wrote:I have a big arm and can throw the ball pretty damn far...... maybe even over those moutains. The Browns should sign me, i'll let you all in locker room to drink beer. Then we can all go out the parking lot to watch me do motorcycle stunts.

Impressive rhythm and production offensively as I watch the game on DVR.

The defense? Impressive rhythm and production offensively.

I will say the front four generated more pressure than I was expecting (and Flynn and Harrell did a nice throwing some balls on the numbers with guys in their faces).

Intriguing.

I do think Saturday night you saw the first step in an evolving offense and that there are more weapons than you may have thought were out there in that particular system. Many aren't household names but they may be more productive than people thought.

peeker643 wrote:Impressive rhythm and production offensively as I watch the game on DVR.

The defense? Impressive rhythm and production offensively.

I will say the front four generated more pressure than I was expecting (and Flynn and Harrell did a nice throwing some balls on the numbers with guys in their faces).

Intriguing.

I do think Saturday night you saw the first step in an evolving offense and that there are more weapons than you may have thought were out there in that particular system. Many aren't household names but they may be more productive than people thought.

I thought we really missed a guy like Lee Evans.

I don't need to be patient, they're going to be shit forever. - CDT, discussing my favorite NFL team

peeker643 wrote:Impressive rhythm and production offensively as I watch the game on DVR.

The defense? Impressive rhythm and production offensively.

I will say the front four generated more pressure than I was expecting (and Flynn and Harrell did a nice throwing some balls on the numbers with guys in their faces).

Intriguing.

I do think Saturday night you saw the first step in an evolving offense and that there are more weapons than you may have thought were out there in that particular system. Many aren't household names but they may be more productive than people thought.

I thought we really missed a guy like Lee Evans.

SD:

Good preseason win , for a team installing new packages on both sides of the ball with all new coaches.

We looked organized and competitive and the players and coaches were intense for an otherwise meaningless game .

peeker643 wrote:Impressive rhythm and production offensively as I watch the game on DVR.

The defense? Impressive rhythm and production offensively.

I will say the front four generated more pressure than I was expecting (and Flynn and Harrell did a nice throwing some balls on the numbers with guys in their faces).

Intriguing.

I do think Saturday night you saw the first step in an evolving offense and that there are more weapons than you may have thought were out there in that particular system. Many aren't household names but they may be more productive than people thought.

I thought we really missed a guy like Lee Evans.

As I said last night via twitter, etc: The people who were ready to scream bloody murder over a huge preseason loss, how Colt blows, how Shurmur looks overmatched, how there is zero talent on this team, and for any other thing that's been bitched about will now say simply:

"Well, it was just the first preseason game." They can't fire the 'everything blows they looked like horseshit' bullet this morning. So they'll fire the 'first preseason game' bullet.

Mark my words.

Like SD said, they were organized and they looked like anything other than a chaotic mess. The fact guys are anonymous or unproven doesn't mean they aren't talented and won't be more known in 3 months.

The offense, as I've said for weeks, will develop nicely and you'll all come to appreciate and enjoy it because it allows for guys to excel within the system. And once they get the guys they're actually targeting for the system it will be even better.

I love how poised and accurate Colt is. Predictably, he looks good in this offense. What a boon it would be for the browns to find out Colt really is the guy, and that our 2 #1's dont have to be used to pull a ditka for a QB.

Well, they didn't look all that great, but consider who they were playing against.

There is a lot of experience on that defense (Jackson, Fujita, Gocong, Brown, Young, and Patterson) and some young talent (Haden, Taylor, Ward, Sheard, Benard). I'm hoping the veterans can get the yutes in the right spots so their talents can emerge. Jauron knows what he's doing. I don't think this defense is going to be as bad as expected. Last night everybody seemed to be in the right spots and there were no breakdowns for big gains. One TD was a fluke off a deflected pass; the other was just a great throw-and-catch by two of the best in the business.

If we have any injuries at linebacker (which we will) it could get ugly, but I'm sure they'll pick up a veteran or two after the final round of cuts, if not sooner.

I'll re-phrase the comment by Peeker to "the defense is never going to be able to get off the field"

Points will be surrendered, no doubt, but I think what could really kill us is time of possession. Without Crazy Rob blitzing from all angles, my concern is the Dick Jauron 4-3 will give up 15 play drives lasting 8 minutes each - never a big play on either side of the ball.

It all depends on the pass rush - and I just don't see from where it comes - unless Jauron sheds the ultra conservative label and brings pressure with 5 or sometimes 6.

Crazy Rob was Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunck compared to Jauron's Sealtest Vanilla.

'Course, Crazy Rob has never really put together a decent defense in his life, so maybe Magic Dick can smoke and mirror his way to not coughing up 350 plus per game.

I don't need to be patient, they're going to be shit forever. - CDT, discussing my favorite NFL team

mattvan1 wrote:I'll re-phrase the comment by Peeker to "the defense is never going to be able to get off the field"

Points will be surrendered, no doubt, but I think what could really kill us is time of possession. Without Crazy Rob blitzing from all angles, my concern is the Dick Jauron 4-3 will give up 15 play drives lasting 8 minutes each - never a big play on either side of the ball.

It all depends on the pass rush - and I just don't see from where it comes - unless Jauron sheds the ultra conservative label and brings pressure with 5 or sometimes 6.

Crazy Rob was Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunck compared to Jauron's Sealtest Vanilla.

'Course, Crazy Rob has never really put together a decent defense in his life, so maybe Magic Dick can smoke and mirror his way to not coughing up 350 plus per game.

It seemed to me that Jauron blitzed a fair amount as well.

I don't care what system you run, every DC understands that if you can't pressure the QB, you will die. And if you can't pressure the QB with individual talent, then you have to scheme it.